We hosted friends recently at our house for the weekend. Whenever we have guests, I prefer to do as much of the prep work ahead of time as possible. So it should come as no surprise that I lean on recipes like this make ahead breakfast casserole as a go-to breakfast option when entertaining people for the weekend.
Not only is this recipe super versatile, but you can assemble it entirely ahead of time and then pop it into your oven when ready to eat!
The vegetables and protein in the below Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole recipe are honestly more of a suggestion than a rule; I was using up a bunch of vegetables I had on hand, so feel free to use whatever sounds good to you as well!
I have only made “real” scones once before (as well as kind of a “cheat” drop scone), so this was a fun opportunity for me to do something I don’t often bake!
Breakfast Breads & Sweet Treats is a great cookbook for any breakfast afficionado in your life. Father Dominic really covers it all, from how to make puff pastry from scratch to baking mixes, to even a recipe for English muffin bread!
There is also an entire chapter dedicated to scones, which is where I found this mouthwatering recipe for Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones.
Ingredients (Serves 8):
8 oz bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I went with sharp)
1/4 cup minced fresh chives (the original recipe had 1/2 cup; I only had enough for 1/4 cup!)
Note: I was sent samples of Bear Mountain BBQ Wood Pellets in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I’m going to keep the yummy smoked recipes going because, well, I can! This recipe for Smoky Bacon Topped Mac and Cheese would be a perfect make ahead dish to bring to your next barbecue.
The Bacon highlights the smoky flavor, but if you want to keep it vegetarian, just omit it!
This recipe is basically my Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe with a few adjustments to make it ready for some smoker action!
This Sunday is the beginning of the end of Mad Men. Sniffle. I have been a huge fan of the show for years and am sad to see it end. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still throw a little party of my own in celebration of the final premiere!
All week, bloggers have been featuring their own spins on Mad Men-inspired recipes to gear up for the premiere this Sunday, when we will have a Virtual Mad Men Finale Party!
I adapted some recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin. I wanted to cheers to Mad Men in style, so I made a version of Trudy’s Rib Eye in the Pan, Individual Potatoes au Gratin, and Perfect Manhattans.
If you’re a Mad Men fan, you probably remember Trudy calling Pete at the office early into their marriage asking what he wanted for dinner. His response: “Rib eye, in the pan, with butter.” So Pete, this one’s for you! This version is a pan-seared New York Strip Steak with cognac butter. (I made New York Strip Steaks instead of Rib Eye, because that would have just been way too much meat for me.)
The steaks are paired with an adapted version of Julia Child’s Potatoes au Gratin, served in individual crocks.
And what’s a Mad Men Party without a cocktail?? I decided to make a more modernized version of a classic, called a Perfect Manhattan, which refers to using equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.
If you want to also Party Like a Mad Man, you’re in luck! I also have a copy to give away! Details after the recipes.
Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook
Ingredients:
Steak in the Pan with Butter:
4 boneless New York Strip Steaks, ~1 inch thick
4 teaspoons canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz cognac
8 tablespoons butter
Potatoes au Gratin
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 pound raw potatoes (about 2-3 large potatoes), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled (I used Valley Thunder from Valley Shepherd in Reading Terminal)
Perfect Manhattan
8 oz rye whiskey (I prefer Dad’s Hat’s version that is finished in Vermouth barrels)
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, IMUSA and McCormick Spices have teamed up to sponsor a great giveaway for I Can Cook That Readers! Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15 and celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking Nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
I will be giving away a Cuban/Caribbean-themed package which includes the following:
IMUSA’s Wood Mortar and Pestal, Caldero, and Tostonera
McCormick’s Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Curry Powder, Paprika, Cinnamon, Oregano, Black Peppercorn Grinder, Chicken Bag n’ Season, and Black Beans and Rice Mix
Details on how to enter will be at the end of this post!
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I also received a nifty little package myself which included an IMUSA Cloth Tortilla Warmer, IMUSA Multicolor Salsa Dishes, IMUSA Granite Molcajete, and McCormick’s Black Pepper, Cumin, Mexican Oregano, Chili Powder, Cilantro Leaves, Taco Recipe Mix, Enchilada Recipe Mix, and Tinga de Pollo Recipe Mix.
So what better time to whip out the slow cooker and make Chicken Taco Bowls topped with Fresh Guacamole?
I adapted this recipe from a Budget Bytes recipe; the recipe is perfect for large crowds so I tested it out on a group of friends who came to visit this weekend. It also makes for one delicious reheated lunch option during the week!
There is something so fun about having breakfast for dinner. Not only is it an easy way to whip up a meal with things you probably already have on hand, but it is so nice to have something so familiar and yet out of the ordinary.
Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth (of Love and Olive Oil) have compiled a cookbook filled with breakfast treats with a spin, making them perfect for dinner. The cookbook, Breakfast for Dinner: Recipes for Fritatta Florentine, Huevos Rancheros, Sunny-Side-Up Burgers, and More! is plain drool-worthy. The photos are fantastic and each recipe sounds better than the last! It has a little bit of everything in its pages, including main dishes, appetizers, and desserts. Each recipe has an inventive twist on a traditional breakfast dish, which made it so difficult to decide which recipe to try first! When I asked my boyfriend to help choose, he responded, “Mmm… can’t we just make every one of them?”
Photo care of Quirk Books
We were finally able to decide on the Huevos Rancheros Tacos because we are big taco fans (I have 7 listed on this blog as of this post) and I loved the idea of turning Huevos Rancheros into delicious dinner!
Ingredients:
Ranchero Sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped, plus 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
For tacos
1 (15 ounce) can refried black beans
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
8 corn tortillas
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or oregano
Note: this recipe is reproduced from the Breakfast for Dinner cookbok
